Saturday, November 12, 2022

kykNET Sunday night documentary looks at life and legacy of Johannes Kerkorrel 20 years after Afrikaans singer's untimely death.


by Thinus Ferreira

A new kykNET documentary, Kerkorrel: 20 jaar later, is looking back at the life, legacy and impact of the Afrikaans music icon Johannes Kerkorrel on Sunday night at 20:30 on kykNET (DStv 144) two decades after his death.

Johannes Kerkorrel, real name Ralph John Rabie, died on 12 November 2002, and on Sunday night 13 November kykNET is looking at the man, his music and its impact 20 years later, in the Afrikaans documentary, Kerkorrel: 20 jaar later, made by producer and director Niel van Deventer.

"While I was busy making a documentary on the life and music of Koos du Plessis, I listened to Kerkorrel's recordings of Koos Doep's songs,” says Niel van Deventer.

"I realised that it has been twenty years since his death and even though there were tributes after his death, it didn't look at the impact he had. I reached out to his son, Reuben, and met with Waldimar Pelser, head of kykNET, in June and mentioned it to him."


"Waldimar saw the potential of the project and I am grateful that Palama Production could produce the documentary with kykNET's support."

Besides son Reuben talking about his father who was born on 27 March 1960, other friends in the music industry share their memories of him, including Amanda Strydom, Karen Meiring, Stef Bos and Valiant Swart. 

Willem Möller and Jannie Hanepoot van Tonder, Kerkorrel's bandmates in the Gereformeerde Blues Band, are also part of the documentary.

"We had a long list of people that we wanted to talk to, but we only had an hour to fit it all in," says Neil. "In the end we spoke to people who were part of his life in different stages of his life and career."

Neil thinks Kerkorrel's biggest heritage is that he planted a seed with Afrikaners to start asking questions.

"Some of our biggest heroes in the struggle for the truth have been journalists. That is also part of Kerkorrel's heritage. And as an artist, he will always be known for timeless songs like Hillbrow, Hoe ek voel and Halala Afrika.

Niel says "people are quick to forget and then repeat the mistakes of the past".

"People forget, or never knew, what these guys had to give up to do what they have done. They also forget that the good old days weren’t that great, but they long to go back to that time and that brings hate and division. Apart from that, we must also never forget what an immensely talented singer and songwriter he was."